


we sleep under the same sky.

by justicesrequiem



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: AU, Angels and Demons AU, Enemies to Lovers, M/M, Promnis Big Bang 2019, implied minor character death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:02:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21638533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justicesrequiem/pseuds/justicesrequiem
Summary: Ignis, an angel of the second tier, resides in Insomnia--the holy (rumored by humans) city of angels. His entire existence has taught him that angels are the tranquil beings of the world while demons are the grotesque creatures that inhabit it.Nothing will change his mind on this.That is...until he's on a spy mission in the depths of Niflheim, the land of demons--and meets a demon who's not like any he's ever experienced and it slowly changes his outlook on everything forever.Written for the Promnis Big Bang 2019!
Relationships: Prompto Argentum/Ignis Scientia
Comments: 10
Kudos: 28
Collections: 2019 Promnis Big Bang





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all!
> 
> This is my fic written for the Promnis Big Bang 2019!
> 
> Special thanks to my editor Asher for helping me last minute!  
> And artist, Suwan (chocosand on tumblr / chocosandart on twitter) for your amazing piece! (which is at the end of chapter 2)
> 
> This project has been in the works for a really long time. It changed a lot through the course of his creation, but the main theme remained which stated from a prompt I was given.
> 
> I had a lot of problems with this fic.  
> I lost almost my whole project once.  
> I lost then 5K later because I somehow erased it.  
> I also was very stressed about the deadline that I made! BARELY, but I made it!
> 
> But, what I gained from being in this project was more than I ever thought I would. I met a lot of Promnis fam and every single one of them is amazing and welcoming. I feel so happy to be part of this ship's fandom. I love all the support they all gave me as I slaved away at this fic for hours and days at a time. You all the real MVPs. My enteral gratitude to you all, I love you!
> 
> This project also helped me start writing again and for that, I am forever grateful.

Since the dawn of time, the world was watched over by six gods (Ramuh, Ifrit, Titan, Shiva, Leviathan, and Bahamut). These gods gifted powers to beings that would watch over the land in physical form. Their existence blended in with the mortals of the globe and kept the balance of peace and tranquility. 

These beings were called _angels_.

Angels were gifted with powers from these gods. They were able to hold elemental power, healing power, and destruction. Angels used those powers to aid humans in secret and keep peace across the universe. However, due to these abilities, some angels ended up being starved for more and sought out other means to obtain more dangerous power.

This power-hungry streak caused a rift between the gods that were engaging in this uprising and the ones that refused to provide the means to continue it. This resulted in the gods splitting between one another and becoming opposing sides. Three on each. Bahamut, Ifrit, and Titan on the side of the uprising and Leviathan, Ramuh, and Shiva who were against it. This ended up causing the power-hungry angels to be consumed in that power and become hideous, monstrous creatures that were deemed demons that could only thrive in the night.

Angels were split into three different groups: the council, the intelligencers, and the overlookers. The council was like the direct ruling--much like a king and his men, this group of angels were regarded as the highest pinnacle (below the gods of course) and often determined what actions would be taken for the greater good of the world. The intelligencers were the angels that went on missions and were more of the battle-ready and defense. Often taking spy missions and doing most of the “dirty work”. And the overlookers were the angels that lived amongst the humans and observed the daily life of everyone, were the humans' guardians and reported back anything suspicious to any of the intelligencers.

As years past, demons began to evolve. There were two types, one of which was humanoid like in nature and could blend in with humans just as much as angels could--and then the nightcrawlers, the ones who were grotesque, ghastly beings who could only thrive in the night. They had no logical thought, just destroy and kill whatever was in their path. Once morning came they hid away in caves or would simply perish.

Angels had white wings that glistened in the light. Whereas demons had black wings that often faded into the night sky. At a surface glance, they were hidden which allowed them to blend into society alongside humans and each other.

Insomnia was the cherished city of angels but was not only inhabited by them. Humans out populated the angels, but this was for the higher beings protection. Some demons made their way into its walls and lived among everyone else, but usually were found and eliminated before it became too much of a threat.

Niflheim was the city of demons. It had a dreary outlook and most people never dared to venture there. Outside humans were at the mercy of whoever they had the unfortunate meeting with and angels that were discovered were often captured and kept for the demons’ own bidding--most never saw the light of day again and if they did… they lost a lot of their purity in the process.

In present times, there is a demon who wishes to reject his heritage and home in order to find peace and acceptance and an angel whose whole life's outlook is about to change, because of that demon.


	2. A Chance Encounter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has the art done by Suwan!  
> chocosand on tumblr / chocosandart on twitter
> 
> Thank you so much for your amazing work once again!

Time: 2:29 AM

Location: Niflheim

Watching the second hand make its final way around--Ignis, a man wearing a white robe, with a necklace with a white pendant and blue jewel, positioned himself in the perfect spot.

Observation was something that Ignis was used to doing. And as an intelligencer, oftentimes his missions were to go overlook operations throughout the land and neighboring areas to see how they worked and make sure balance was in order, but tonight was probably the most important task he had ever been given.

His current mission led him to scope out a rumor that had been bouncing around Insomnia, a tip given to him by some overlookers that heard it spreading around like wildfire. This rumor stated that the demons were staging an assault and if this was true, they needed to build up the best defense and keep their city from falling to dust.

Ignis leaned against the wall where he was planning to move. The minute hand struck to 2:30 and he took a breath in. He was not scared and he would not allow himself to be. He was precise and knew any faltering could be his demise. So, he always kept his head clear and his objective insight.

Pulling himself away from the wall, Ignis observed the area. It was too dark to see and knowing the dangers of this land, he took out a flashlight.

Clipping his flashlight to his robe, he started to move down the path that led him here. He was still on the border of Niflheim with a long way to go before he reached any means of a base or otherwise. Flight would be the faster route. He would get there in nearly triple the time, but he would be too easily spotted with his white, majestic wings--so, he had to ground himself and keep all his celestial power at bay, as if he was just a human.

Ignis knew he wouldn't make it to where he needed by morning. Hell, he would be lucky if he made it there in a few days time in his “weakened” state--but for the time being, he had to get there as soon as possible in hopes that plans to raid his beloved city were not in motion and were hopefully just hearsay.

A noise had stopped him in his footsteps. His head turning to the source. A rustle in the bushes. 

Shining his light on the bush he still couldn't make out what it was but there was a gasp and grunts as if he blinded someone and then heard something akin to a fall.

“Ow…” an unknown voice escaped the bushes. It seemed like whatever, whoever it was got hurt upon falling, which to Ignis seemed unusual if this individual in question was possibly (and most likely) a demon.

"Who's there?" Ignis said, with a slightly threatening tone, but curiosity blended in at the end.

There was no answer. A slight gulp, but no answer.

"You're not sneaky." Ignis sighed, his eyes fixed on the bush in exasperation. He’d rather be spoken to than ignored. His assumption led him to believe this was either a foolish demon pretending to be hurt or a scared human who shouldn’t be wandering this terrain at night. Either way, they needed to answer him, “I’ll ask once more, who’s there?” His voice was a bit more stern this time, but it still had a slightly approachable atmosphere to it. His intention wasn’t to scare the other being away but to still heed caution. 

He then heard the figure rising from the ground. Sounding like it was brushing off the dirt from its fall and slowly moving through the bush as if each step was more hesitant than the last.

Ignis was getting rather curious to see who this individual was because the evidence he had of this creature so far was that they were far more scared of him, then he was of it. Judgment told him that it might have been best to keep moving forward and avoid any unnecessary hassle, but his tactics and wit told him that it was important to weed out any potential threat that would heed his mission. 

"You know...your light is way too bright, dude." There was a bit of hesitation in the other's voice. He was frightened, but he carried a familiarity with it as he wanted to get along. A friendly demeanor. 

"Apologies. It’s rather dark." Ignis spoke in a proper tone, without threats lingering in it. Still trying to seem as welcoming as possible, “Not used to the light?” It was nightfall in Niflheim. Ignis knew it was uncommon for anyone to be traveling around, let alone with a light source, but that just made him seem all the more human.

"Uh, well not always. Not like...at this hour, anyways." The other male slowly came out of the bushes rubbing his head; he was mostly dressed in black, with a midriff, but his hair was blonde. He also had shackles on both his wrists, which could indicate slavery of some kind,  _ maybe  _ . While that could symbolize poverty...it didn’t necessarily mean this boy was in the clear as someone who wasn’t a threat. The blonde looked nervous, however, suggested by the hesitation of his movements and his rambling speech.

Ignis noted the anxiety that traveled through the blonde's speech. Still affirming that there was fear that was probably welling in the other's throat as if it seemed like Ignis were holding an interrogation.

"Do you venture out at night often?" Ignis was careful in his questions. He didn’t want to say anything that would give even an ounce of suspicion to his heritage, but he also wanted to know what he was dealing with so he could react accordingly. A human he could help get back to the refuge. A demon, however, he would have to talk his way around and if the moment came--fight to keep them off his tail. He didn’t want it to come to that, however, because the longer he could pose as a simple human, the better, “It’s rather dangerous, I know.” His eyes fell shut for a second, then looked back at the blonde, “But, I haven’t eaten in a few days and was looking for anything I could get to satisfy my hunger.” Taking the role of a human in poverty seemed to be his best bet at the moment.

"Food? Uh, well, sorry buddy... I can’t help you with that…” The blonde's words trailed off as he rubbed the back of his head again. A tick that Ignis noted had happened twice now, which meant it was a habit and by the nervous nature the blonde was displaying, was obviously showing that there was something more than he was letting on. Conclusion:  _ That boy was a horrible liar  _ .

“No need to apologize. It’s not your fault if you can’t assist me.” Ignis moved his hands to his side. This was just going in circles, but he was curious about what the blonde was keeping from him. If they were, in fact, a demon--there was also a small possibility that this boy was playing coy, so Ignis had to also take that into consideration. Still… the other’s fear felt justified. That or he was really good at feigning fear. “Curious though, what were you doing out this late?” Ignis’s eyes raised in interest.

The blonde’s eyes trailed to the path beside the both of them. It took him a moment before he unsteadily made eye contact again, “I was uh, taking a late-night stroll, ya know?”  _ Shit _ . The blonde internally cursed himself, that was not what he meant to say. He truly was an  _ absolutely  _ terrible liar. In reality, he had been sent out by his “father” to secure an area near the border for future means. It wasn’t something he wanted to do, it was something he had to do or suffer the consequences, but any mingering that demons were partaking in was not something he liked to deal with.

At this point, the liar wasn’t sure who he was talking to either. He had never come across the man before, so it led him to believe that they must be new (which was dangerous, because that meant this man was a human or worst, an angel). However, the story that was given suggested that maybe they were a human wandering around looking for food. Either way, the blonde was trying to be cautious not to be caught with what he had been doing and trying to keep up the world’s weakest facade. In other words, it was hopeless, but no one could fault his determination at least.

Ignis had raised a brow, this was just getting absolutely pitiable, “You know as well as I do that pleasure strolls are not what  _ we  _ should be participating in.” His eyes had narrowed on the other male, emphasizing that they were of the same “species”. Two humans living in poverty as all the other homebound Niff humans did.

A nervous chuckle escaped the blonde's breath, “Yeah, I know. Just couldn’t sleep and sometimes a good walk just wears you out and suddenly you’re off to dreamland!” His voice got a bit more relaxed again and he was even trying to come across as if he was joking around. That part of his personality was his greatest asset at times and he hoped it would be right now. Making himself more relaxed and not frightened. 

“You’d be wise to heed caution more.” Ignis voice had also changed in tone slightly, there was a sense of concern to it, still trying to be as welcoming as he could be while still staying on his toes to avoid danger.

“ _ Annnnd  _ , I got that noted.” Another laugh and the blonde reached out his hand, “By the way...I’m Prompto! I don’t think I’ve seen you around before, but I know a lot of humans tend to be scattered all over the place.”

Ignis studied Prompto’s hand as he went to reach for it. Something didn’t bode well with him though. Prompto’s comment sounded... _ strange  _ . The way Prompto had been talking sounded like he was categorizing humans outside himself and it was such a small error that Ignis was sure Prompto hadn’t even realized he said, “Nice to meet you, Prompto. I reside just right on the border, oftentimes I don’t step foot fully in Niflheim.” Shaking Prompto’s hand he knew at this point there was  _ almost  _ no doubt that this boy wasn’t a human, so he had to either hurry up and leave or take care of him. 

And the conclusion? Ignis needed to eliminate Prompto or there might be trouble that would catch up with the angel later.

However, Ignis needed to be smart about it. His first line of defense was not revealing his name to Prompto. His second line would be to seclude Prompto outside the border which might be difficult in some ways, but hopefully, the cards were in Ignis’s favor and it wouldn’t be too much of a challenge.

“Dude! I always think living on the border would be cool, you can get a little taste of life in and outside of the land. I mean, I’ve lived here my whole life, the scenery gets kinda dull and dreary. I want to know what it’s like out there!” Prompto's eyes were beaming with excitement as he continued to go on about how much he wanted to explore the world and see everything and everyone in it. Living in the conditions he did, all he ever saw was destruction and heinous things. What he really wanted to see was something more peaceful and sincere. 

Prompto's hands seemed to do more talking for him than his mouth did. That was something else Ignis was noting.

“It’s certainly got its perks, I suppose.”

“What’s it like though? I’ve always been told it’s better not to know, but you can’t fault a guy for wanting to see the great forbidden world!” Prompto wouldn’t let up, his eyes were screaming with curiosity. Once he was set on something, he just didn’t know how to let it go.

“It’s not that different. It’s only right outside the border; the same dangers lurk around, you’d have to travel farther to see any real distinction.” Ignis knew it might have been better to lie and make it more appealing to Prompto to lure him out there, but going about it this way would probably get more of a response out of Prompto or keep him interested enough that Ignis was becoming even more of a trustworthy figure in Prompto’s eyes.

Prompto rubbed the back of his head. He got a bit too excited of thinking of being outside the borders that he was prohibited from ever exploring that he didn’t stop to think that it wouldn’t be much of a change, “Oh snap, you’re right! I got carried away for a second, oops.” Rubbing his nose he continued, “I have never been directly to the border, honestly. This is the closest I’ve come to seeing it, actually.”

_ Perfect  _ . Ignis could lure Prompto to the border by tempting him farther out. Ignis planned seemed to be working, now just see how well it was, “You know, I have been farther than the border. It’s quite beautiful. Let’s say you have a go and see what you think?” His voice as welcoming as ever as if the two were reaching a friendly bond, it was almost a shame really that it would end so soon, but Ignis would stop at nothing to complete his mission and he sure as well would not be faltered by some demon.

Prompto’s expression had suddenly gotten a bit of unease in it. His eyes trailed to the side and bottom lip traveled under his teeth. There was no way he could go to the border. He wasn’t allowed. If he dared venture too far he would be reprimanded for it and honestly… he wasn’t sure what would happen to him, “I...couldn’t, well I mean, I can’t, er…” His words were jumbling again, that rambling habit he had was peaking through, “As much as I would love to see what’s out there...I can’t.” Prompto put his hands to his sides, his eyes still trailing and hardly making eye contact with the other male. Just the sheer thought had seemed to trigger such conflict and fear in him.

“Prompto.” Ignis put a hand on his shoulder, something akin to a comforting gesture, “I’m not sure what’s got you riled up, but rest assured that nothing will happen to you. I’m fine, aren’t I?” Ignis’s eyes had a thoughtful gaze about them, looking deep into Prompto’s.

That wasn’t the problem and Prompto couldn’t explain the real problem and just as he was thinking of ways to dance around it, he realized that it had been at least a good five minutes or so that they had been shooting the breeze. Five minutes too long to be distracted from what he was set out to do. Five minutes too long that couldn’t entirely be accounted for if he was asked about. Five minutes too long that could seal his fate.

Prompto’s mouth slowly fell open and some words had finally found their way out of his throat, “...I’m sorry…” Prompto shook his head and pulled away from the other man. He hated doing so though, that touch was probably more comforting than most other touches he's had. And he felt so thankful for that,  _ so very thankful  _ . But, he had to leave and it wasn’t fair if he got this (who he thought was) human involved in his demon (unwanted) escapades. He’d already involved humans too much in the past and each one that his father or other demons caught wind of vanished without a trace… Prompto didn’t want that to happen again. He then turned his back to the other man, “...It was nice meeting you though!” Prompto went to make a dart off but was stopped dead in his tracks.

“Wait, hold on--” Ignis had grabbed Prompto’s left arm, just above the shackle that lay on his wrist. A gesture Ignis wouldn’t have normally done, but given the circumstances, he felt more comfort would be the best course of action.

Prompto’s eyes widened. He wasn’t expecting to be grabbed so suddenly. The shock was enough to cause him to lose his human facade and suddenly...his wings showed.

Black, bat-like wings spread out from Prompto’s shoulder blades. Feathers dropping down from them. He never understood why he shed feathers when his wings had no feathers to begin with. But now, he was even more frightened than he was when he first ran into the “human”. His identity was in those wings and them being revealed meant he had to eradicate that human and he just… he couldn’t do that. Prompto refused to give in to his demon heritage. He refused to kill.

Ignis’s eyes widened a bit. He was right. Prompto was in fact not human. Had they gone past the border Ignis would have put everything to the test to get Prompto to reveal his wings or demonic power to one-hundred-percent ensure that he was right. After all, he never doubted his instinct, but one can never be too hasty and make sure every last rock is not left unturned. He would never slaughter a human. Angels were meant to guide and protect them. It was a heinous crime and unheard of if an angel was to do so--in fact, that was the way an angel became a fallen. Ignis has never seen a fallen angel and he never wanted to. They are their own corrupted creations. Still bearing the face of an angel, but tainted by evil. Almost no better than a demon.

Prompto quickly pulled back and wanted to retreat and hide. Anything to protect this person from his heritage and in his panic, he started to try and take flight with his wings, but Ignis stopped him instantly by grabbing Prompto’s leg.

“You’re not going anywhere.” Ignis held onto Prompto’s leg tightly. Refusing to let go.

It felt like Prompto’s limb was being crushed.  _ It hurt  _ . It...was too strong for a mere human’s grasp. And suddenly...Prompto realized what was going on and he felt so naive for not realizing it sooner. “You’re… not human are you?”

“You’ve finally figured it out, have you?” Ignis sounded more serious; there was no comfort in his voice anymore as he pulled Prompto back down and tossed him to the ground, trying to keep the demon grounded. He couldn’t let Prompto out of his sight or this could backfire horribly for him.

Prompto’s back hit the ground so hard, he bounced and then fully landed. His wings retracted back to his shoulder blades. He winced in agony from the impact. The pain was almost unbearable… he’d been against plenty of demons that got rough with him and beat the crap out of him, but...this was his first time being ring tossed around by something else. That something else without a doubt had to be an angel. Which was probably even worse than a human ending up caught in his ordeals, because if the angel was captured he would be taken back to the center of Niflheim. Where Prompto actually lived. He had not witnessed too many of the horrors that happened there...but he could still hear the screams for miles ringing through his head and his guilt because there was nothing he could do. Helping someone escape a few times; human or angel, got them killed… Prompto's good deeds were never rewarded.

The demon had slowly tried to sit himself up from the ground, his body trembling. It seemed pathetic for a demon to be in that much pain from a mere (to beings like demons and angels) fall, but Prompto wasn’t like other demons. He was kinder. Softer. And he didn’t grasp his demonic power as others did… it was more of a last resort for him, he hated using it. And he  _ really  _ didn’t want to have to fight right now. To be honest… he wished to reject his entire heritage. He didn’t want to be a demon. Gods, he often wished he was a mere mortal. 

“Angel...right?” Prompto took in a deep breath, his breathing was a bit labored from the fall, but it was recovering quickly. He wasn’t so weak that his breathing would falter for long. Weaker than the average demon?  _ Yes  _ . But not as weak as a human.

“Yes. I’m an angel.” Ignis wasted no time confirming that. He wasn’t playing human anymore and he was about to eliminate this demon, so it didn’t matter if he was honest or not. His facade was long since over. “And you’re a demon. Such a revolting being you are.”

Prompto looked up at the angel, his eyes were shaking, "...I am a demon. But...that doesn't mean much." His voice trailed off. He seemed serious. Prompto tried to get back to his feet, but he hadn’t recovered enough to even try and stagger back up, so he stayed on the ground as his breathing at least came back to a normal rhythm. 

"Oh?" There was a bit of snark from Ignis. What did Prompto mean by  _ that  _ ? How could it "not mean much"? A demon was a demon. A truly heinous creature. There was no  _ meaning much  _ about it.

"Demons aren't always the cruel creatures everyone thinks they are." His voice was softer. His eyes fell shut, his heart sped up a bit. This was hard to say, but he had to learn to stop hiding how he felt out of fear. The fear that had consumed him when he was around his fellow demons. The fear that consumed him around his “father”. No, he couldn’t fear this angel the same way, if anything this was the most opportune time (aside from the fact that this angel saw him as an enemy and was probably going to dispose of him). Right at this moment, he was trying to make a statement. A statement that would probably fall on deaf ears, but his declaration was important to him.

Ignis wasn’t having any of that. It was preposterous to him that this demon even wanted to waste his time with ridiculous claims, "Demons are **_terrible_** , **_vile_** , **_grotesque_** monsters and I won't let you, a _demon_ , tell me otherwise." Each and every word Ignis spoke cut like a blade, stabbing Prompto in the back where he sat. If looks could kill--Ignis would have murdered the demon on the spot.

Prompto had expected it would be like this, he almost recoiled from fear, but despite his anxiety and fear, he was refusing to back down, "I'm--"  _ Not like that.  _ Prompto trembled, his teeth biting his lip and his emotions starting to get the better of him, "...I mean…" His voice was quivering, "What I want is…" He cleared his throat and put all his emotions into the rest of his declaration, "...peace! I want peace!"

"Peace? And just what do you mean by  _ that  _ ?" Tranquility was something  _ angels  _ provided. Something they long had in order. Demons were chaotic, they brought destruction and damnation--there was no serenity. 

The adrenaline from Prompto’s declaration was still high, so high it helped him rise to his feet. He felt empowered, but he still had all the anxiety and fright welling around in his stomach and with it he pushed it all into his throat, “Demons to be accepted in the world just as much as angels! For all of us to live peacefully among humans and get along! To expand and live outside of Niflheim! Humans hardly know either of us exist, but I want to watch over them! I want to help them! I want to help angels! Hell, sometimes I wish I was human, but I want to use my demonic heritage for good! I want that for everyone!” Prompto had run out of breath by the end, his breathing trying to play catch up. His eyes fell shut, his voice becoming softer and his welled emotions coming to a calm.

Ignis scoffed, “It’s a preposterous ambition you have. Angels were made from purity. Demons were made from damnation. What makes you think that any of them,  _ including you  _ , could help keep the tranquil balance of the world?” 

Ignis was baffled. This demon was insane. Or rather, naive. Honestly, a mixture of both. A demons original purpose was meant to just cause pain and destruction. A punishment for seeking power and causing a divide of the Gods. They were meant to be the most grotesque beings anyone had ever seen, but over centuries of time, they had evolved. Something that always made Ignis’s blood boil. Nightcrawlers had no mind of their own, all they knew was to destroy. Angels in the past had a lot of work cut out for them, but they had the superior battle tactics. But, now there were “humanoid” demons, ones that could pose as humans and fit in with everyone else just like angels did (which left even more of a bitter taste in Ignis’s mouth) and that was a whole other level of ghastly horror. What was worse was angels had no idea how this advancement took place. Still, the bottom line was demons were the true evil. There was no redemption from that. And Ignis would never be swayed to think differently.

Prompto had put his hand to his side, he was fiddling with his thumb and his eyes were still in direct contact with the angel, “Call me crazy, but this is my deepest wish. I don’t even care if it happens long after I’m dead, but I would do anything to either reject all my demonic energy or put it to good use..” Moving his hands back to his side, “I don’t agree with the anarchy that demons have. I don’t...want to have to abide by it anymore…but, it’s hard to start up that type of rebellion.” He chuckled a bit at the end of that. Prompto knew the only reason he wasn’t dead yet was because his “father” had some reason to keep him alive and not even Prompto understood why “I don’t even use my demonic powers often… and I get that I’m only one demon, but I would like if all demons could feel the way I do someday…” He sighed softly, “I may not know much of what the rest of the world is like, but I know that angels guard over human life outside of this damned place and humans outside the border have no idea that demons or angels exist for the most part. And like, I help look after humans here…” He trailed off. If by looking after, he meant that out of his hands, he drove most of them to their doom, then yeah. But, the notion was to protect them.

“Even if this claim of yours is true. It doesn’t change the fact you're a demon. You will always go back to your instincts to cause mayhem, it’s in your blood.” Ignis hadn’t given much of Prompto’s long ramble any mind, the important point was that none of it mattered because it was demonic instinct to be destructive and deceitful. Prompto would succumb to it soon enough.

Ignis stood with his legs slightly spread apart from one another, it was definitely a “brace yourself” stance, “I don’t have time to play these ludicrous games any longer. I have a mission to uphold and you’re causing a barricade.” Ignis, while still paying attention to Prompto's movements as he got deep in thought. This was how angels and demons tapped into their powers that were gifted to them from the Gods. Their mental connection to the Gods allowed the powers they had to surge through their bodies and be used at their disposal for however long they needed at any given time.

Prompto gulped.  _ Crap  _ . This was bad. If the angel attacked him, this was it, he couldn’t fight against a being he’s never squared against, let alone the fact he’s a weak demon and only now starting to not feel the pain from that body slam earlier. His ass was as good as toast unless he thought of a plan right then and there. Maaan, being under pressure was always the best way to think of the craziest or stupidest ideas, right?

_ Act fast, Prompto! Hurry! _

This was probably the worst idea possible, but if it worked. It would be worth it. In a last-ditch effort Prompto took out some objects that looked like rocks and tossed all but one of them on the ground, “These have demonic energy surging through them…courtesy of our good pal Ifrit.” Prompto tried to give a bit of a laugh, trying to see if it would catch the other male off guard for even just a moment, just to buy any fraction of time. Prompto sure was the best at distractions to avoid things, “...and they were going to be used to prepare the border to stage an attack…” He trailed off and made sure that his eyes were staring directly into the angels still, giving the most serious look he’s given this whole time, “...on Insomnia.”

Ignis’s attention was instantly drawn to those fragments. They were encased in flames and Prompto was holding them in his hands. Ignis’s attention was pushed away from using his abilities, they were ready in his back pocket for any sudden movements, however, but for now...he was going to try and get as much information out of Prompto as he could, “And these...fragments, what is their purpose?”

“They would border our home with a fiery barrier.” Prompto was telling Ignis everything he had overheard, this had to help prove his stance, right? “Plus, the remaining ones would stay with the first line of offense. Amplifying their power.” Prompto gripped the rock in his hand, he was used to fire the most out of all the powers he could wield, which why he was tasked to put those near the border, “Also, like, they are totally planning to use all our Gods’ powers. Not just this one.” He was back to the friendly tone, trying to keep the tension from rising up again.

“Valuable information to just be tossing out there. What’s your play here,  _ demon  _ ?” Ignis still holding himself back long enough to hear the demon’s answer.

“I ain’t pulling your leg, dude. I’m telling you what you need to know...andmaybeintheprocesstoprovetoyouI’mnotlikeotherdemons.” A bit of a cheeky smile formed on Prompto’s lips after he spoke so fast, but clear enough he knew he could be heard.

“It’s a valiant effort. I give you that, but you honestly think one act of justice is going to change my mind?” Ignis’s eyebrow rose, “If so, you’re more naive than I thought. Pathetically so.”

_ Oof  _ . Okay so, of course, it wouldn’t be that easy. But, hey could anyone fault Prompto for trying? Still...he gave Ignis a valuable piece of information that could jeopardize a lot of planning for his kind, so whatever came of this...bigger things were coming later, "I mean I didn't totally think that! ...erm well, at least not fully?" That infamous tic he seemed to have of rubbing his head occurred again,  _ for the third time  _ . He also seemed to do a lot of talking with his hands that went in several different directions.

“You’re rather half-witted, aren’t you?” Ignis moved to get back into his previous stance, enough time was wasted. Having been told the rumor he was scoping out had been in-fact true meant Ignis had more digging to do. His mission was far from over and Prompto was causing him to waste precious time.

_ Ha…  _ There was just a nervous chuckle that had escaped Prompto in response to the angel. His mind was elsewhere swimming for a destination. Meanwhile, Ignis delved into his elemental power, residing with water from the God Leviathan which was beginning to manifest into a dangerous water ball-like substance.

Okay… time for plan B. But, what was plan B? Prompto had not gotten that far yet but he was scavenging all the nooks and crannies of his brain to try and conjure up some type of idea. And suddenly, just like that, a Frankenstein's monster of an idea was created in his head, by taking pieces of various ideas and putting them together into one crazy as hell concoction.

“Wait, wait, wait!” Prompto’s arms were flailing all over the place, “What if… I showed you the fastest way to the center Nilfhiem?!”

Ignis’s eyes widened, as he withdrew his ability. That truly had caught him off guard, he never imagined that Prompto would declare something so brave and yet simultaneously ludicrous (that part, however, he could believe). That claim just had to be for show, a form of deceit. Though...it wasn’t that Ignis trusted Prompto, that was far from it, but there was an air about that blonde that his beaming personality and nativity didn’t seem to have room for deceit (at least not of that caliber). Surely enough though, Ignis knew that a demon's true nature would take hold of him, but for now Ignis would allow Prompto to live in his fantasy world. 

There were pros and cons to allowing himself to take Prompto's offer. First of all, the biggest con was that he would be tailing around with a demon; that disgusted him straight down into the deepest pit of his stomach, but… it wasn’t an end all be all arrangement, just an extremely unwanted one. Another con was the danger lurking around, running into other demons or seeing him with Prompto could spark fights or other dangers. Though even without tagging along with Prompto, he was still an outsider and Niflheim was not kind to anyone from beyond its borders. Ignis knew when he took this mission that the dangers that lay ahead for him were extreme, and there was a higher chance he would not make it back to Insomnia whether he was eliminated or captured to be tortured, but he took the mission to aid his beloved city and put to rest or assure a rumor.  _ A rumor that was now proven to be fact  _ . 

The last con Ignis could think of is that this was all a setup and he was going to be betrayed, but again...Ignis felt like it wasn’t in Prompto (currently, because all demons go back to their roots) to deceive him like that and if it was then  _ well-played, Prompto, well-played  _ . It would deserve Ignis’s standing ovation.

Pros, however, were that Ignis would know exactly where he was going. This would cut his search time tremendously, because he had to use resources like a human would, so he couldn’t fly or do anything that would draw attention to him. A simple pro was that he would complete his mission above and beyond what was expected of him (most likely). Another thought--back to having to travel with a demon, while that was a con… a semi-pro side to it was that he would see how Prompto’s interactions were. If Prompto’s actions backed up his claims. Honestly, Ignis was rather curious. Mostly because he thought this demon was out of their mind, but also partly because watching it all unfold sounded rather intriguing. Still. He would stand his ground, nothing **_absolutely_** nothing would change his mind. Demons were evil. End of story. And Prompto would be no different in the end.

And with all those weighing in his mind--Ignis would take Prompto up on his offer because either way Ignis would still get more insight and complete his mission well above the bar (he simply would refuse to die).

Ignis’s eyes narrowed back to normal, “You drive a hard bargain, demon.” His eyes fell shut for a moment as if processing what he was about to say. His mouth opened, a small sigh escaping, “I accept your offer, however, this doesn’t mean I trust you. This is simply a moment of opportunity of which I’ve decided to oblige because it caters to my best personal interests.” 

Prompto heard all that was said, but all it processed as was, “yes, let’s go on this crazy adventure”. Prompto was a bit naive in his thinking, but he wasn’t stupid. He was willingly putting himself in several different types of danger. Prompto had never done this before, hell just before he ran into this angel he was going to perform a task he had been assigned that would start into motion the most destructive plan from demons yet. Prompto had single-handedly just froze that whole arrangement with one simple action. The fear of taking too long that welled up in him before was gone. Yes, he was scared of what this journey would have in store, but it was already in motion and it was time for him to take a stand for what was right instead of catering to what he had to do to survive.

Prompto felt a sense of...rebellion welling inside him. He mentioned before he could never stage something so big when he was the only demon (that he knew) that wanted to reject every last ounce of his kind from themself, but...now he had a chance to prove to an outsider he wasn’t like all the others. A chance to show his true colors and he was going to take it by the horns and ride it out. An angel and a demon was an unlikely duo, but Prompto couldn't be more excited. He was willing to do whatever it took to get the angel to believe Prompto wasn’t going to betray them and that he could be trusted. And he would be as damned as his heritage if he failed in doing so.

Rubbing his nose, Prompto gave a cheeky smile, “Sweet! Best course of action would be to wait till dawn, makes it easier to move around, like man the nightcrawlers take no mercy on anyone, even us evolved demons, so like, we could end up some sticky situations.” Prompto's arms move to his hips, “Buuut, it’s up to you, dude, I can get you there either way.” It was after three in the morning now, so daybreak wasn't terribly far away anyways.

“The dawn’s approaching soon, we could make some progress and then make the majority of our travels during the daytime.” Ignis wasn’t sure how far it was, but he knew it still had to be miles away and without flight, this was going to take  _ days  _ at the very least. Something Ignis had already prepared for, so it wasn’t anything he wasn’t expecting.

Prompto nodded, his arms still on his hips, “Perfect!” He moved his arms from his hips, shifting his body, a necklace he was wearing shifting with him that he suddenly was made aware of in that moment. It was a black pendant with a red jewel in the middle. He had no idea what it meant, but he’s had it for as long as he could remember. Instinctively grabbing it in his hands as if to hide it, his eyes darted away for a moment, “So, anyways! Can I ask something? I mean like, if we are going to be doing this journey together...the least we can do is know each other's names...right?” Prompto blinked, his eyes looking in curiosity; his mouth slightly hanging open, “After all, you know my name is Prompto and I really don’t think you want me going through this all calling you mister angel or sir angel, do you? Though, one could argue that sounds rad as hell.” Prompto gave a cheeky grin.

“Ignis.” Ignis said, not paying much mind to what else Prompto was saying, “And don’t call me any of those ridiculous names.” Disgust carried with Ignis’s words. He could have given a fake name, but in the end, there was really no point in that.

“Oh man! Okay, okay. But, still sir angel was pretty awesome, you gotta admit.” Chuckling a bit, Prompto turned to the side, balancing on one leg (the one that hadn’t been almost crushed to pieces earlier).

Ignis said nothing as he turned to start walking with Prompto running over to trail after, telling him to wait up, because Prompto’s the one that’s guiding the way.


	3. The Journey

There wasn’t much progress made in the journey pre-dawn.

The two had spent a small amount of time getting more familiar with each other's vibe. Ignis stuck firm that he did not trust Prompto, but wanted to learn more about what made him tick. And Prompto while nervous, the excitement of this leap of faith, so to speak, made him want to learn as much about Ignis as possible.

Within two hours Ignis had analyzed Prompto’s entire character. Picked up on subtle cues that would suggest anxiety or insecurity, but noted Prompto’s cheery and joking demeanor. Meanwhile, Prompto had determined that Ignis was not as uptight and proper as he was trying to display. There were times Ignis would crack a joke back at Prompto that left Prompto shocked and confused but laughing at the same.

And then the dawn broke.

Prompto had been talking off Ignis’s ear about some of the inner workings of his home. Nothing that Ignis wasn’t probably already aware of, but Prompto was trying to share various things he could think of to get Ignis to trust him. Nothing was working, but couldn’t fault Prompto for continuing to try, because once Prompto stuck himself to something, he would never give up on it. Especially not something like this.

It wasn’t a good thing, at least not in the overall picture, but Prompto was really enjoying himself. There were so many dangers, but his anxiety while residing in a deep pit in his stomach was subsided. To Prompto, Ignis was fascinating. Prompto had only known Ignis about three hours, but it felt like a lifetime. Prompto knew that Ignis was just tolerating him for the end goal, but even so, he couldn’t help but get wrapped up into it and wanted to learn more and more about this angel.

“Oh, we are almost there!” Prompto said, with a beam of excitement in his voice, pointing forward.

However, Ignis was confused, because he knew they couldn’t have possibly made it to the center yet, “Almost where? I can’t imagine it’s your residence.”

“Oh, sorry!”  _ Whoops  _ . Prompto’s tone switched to a more informative one, “Yeah, not my home, but a refugee camp.”

“Inhabited by humans, I take it?” Ignis’s eyebrow raised slightly.

“Yeah. Decently hidden too. Super safe at nighttime.” Prompto’s tone got a bit more serious, “Plus, as far as I know, the only demon who’s located it was me.” Prompto made sure he didn’t venture to it too often or tragedy would strike. So, he kept his distance and swung by every once in a while to help or lend a hand and as quickly as he would come; he would then leave once more.

That lingered in Prompto’s head, how he was always going to bring misfortune to anyone he tried to be close with that wasn’t a demon. All the victims playing over and over in his head like a record playing on loop. Some he had no idea where they went, they just suddenly vanished without a trace of evidence as to why.

However, despite that, Prompto felt this time, with Ignis, would be different. Regardless of that lump in his throat that he got when he thought of Ignis being eliminated because of him--Prompto felt it would be different. Maybe it was because this was Prompto’s first mark of rebellion and stood for what he believed in that made him think it would be different. Or maybe it was because he knew Ignis was a force that no one should reckon with. Honestly, it was funny imagining Ignis kicking the demon head’s ass. Whatever the reason...Prompto had some faith in it and that was more than the hopeless outlook he had in the past. Never stopped him from helping people, but it made him feel guilty because he always knew the result would be the same--but he didn’t feel like that this time.

“Were you planning on making this detour this whole time?” Ignis inquired.

“Not entirely, no, but since we have to take this route, a pit stop isn’t a problem. Besides, I wanna see how one of the kiddos is doing since she was horrifically sick the last time I was around.” 

Prompto had a concerned look on his face, Ignis took note of. In fact, anytime something serious was talked about Prompto would have looks of concern or other suitable expressions in response. None of his reactions had been backward. Prompto showed lots of empathy and kindness in his expressions and gestures. Something Ignis concluded was genuine. And for the first time, Ignis thought for a moment, perhaps Prompto was different--but no sooner did it come to Ignis’s mind, did he chase it out and remind himself that Prompto was a demon and couldn’t be trusted.

“I imagine taking care of someone’s illness is rather hard in this part of the world, let alone in the refuge.”

“Yeah… one of the more common ways for humans to die around here is from various illnesses…” Prompto hated that. He knew there were ways demons could help sick humans, but there would always be some type of danger. They weren’t creatures of healing...angels were. Any of their abilities if used for good--would still have a negative consequence. So, all Prompto was able to do last time as make the kid comfortable and help gather some herbs that one of the other refugees used to make medicine. He’d hoped it worked out and the kid was doing okay.

Prompto turned a corner, but instead of going straight--he shifted to the right and then down another path. Ignis followed, noting they were going off course a bit but knew where they were headed.

“This is a rather complex and specific route. One minor mistake, say a right turn instead of the left would throw anyone off.” Ignis was impressed by the thought that went into his hidden area, but it made him wonder how in the world Prompto found it in the first place.

Prompto was too busy making sure he was going down the right paths and otherwise to get to the spot to really respond to Ignis, but tried to give a few acknowledgments that he was listening all the same.

Reaching the spot finally, Prompto slowly walked into the middle of the area. It was a small field that had three small tents in it. There were currently only nine people living in that camp and one of the tents was not used for people, it had food and other important supplies in it for storage.

Prompto told Ignis to stay a bit behind him, so Prompto could ease in the fact he had another person with him.

Going up to the first tent, Prompto moved the cloth a bit to signify he was there and spoke up, “Hey! Anyone there, it’s Prompto!” No sooner did he say that did the tent open to reveal a woman probably in her early forties standing there greeting him.

“Hello my dear, it’s good to see you again. How’s life in your neck of the woods?” The woman had a smile as bright as the sun, it was even blinding.

“Oh, it’s great! Ya know, just living it up!” Prompto laughed a bit, rubbing his nose and smiling.

“Glad to hear it, dear.”

“Oh! Uh, how’s Trinity doing? I know she was realllly sick the last time I was here and wanted to know if she was back onto tip-top shape!”

The woman's eyes fell to the ground and Prompto instantly felt his stomach drop and he hated that his first thought was…  _ did she die? _

“Well… she’s been fighting it ever since. Herbs are enough to help maintain her symptoms, but it’s not enough to help her rid this illness from her body.” The woman had so much concern in her voice that Prompto could feel each word pulling at his heartstrings.

“Man, that’s terrible.” Prompto turns himself trying to gesture at Ignis to come out, “Though, I might have someone that knows a thing or two about curing people.” Yeah, Prompto signed up Ignis to use some of his healing abilities. Which only angels had. But, it would be worth it, because it was only a matter of time before the poor girl's body completely shut down and Prompto refused to accept that.

Ignis, rather bothered by Prompto’s sudden impulse, had to move from where he was hiding and stood beside Prompto, “Yes, my expertise comes from traveling the globe, using some herbs that can only be found in certain places.”

“Yeah! Trust me, he’s the man you wanna call if someone is sick. We can trust him.” Prompto rubbed his nose in a friendly gesture. He could feel the anger radiating from beside him like Ignis was some kinda angry vibe monster and it certainly was scary. Any points he was making, if at all, in the trust progress department were probably all thrown down the drain at that moment. Prompto gulped.

Luckily, for Prompto, Ignis knew what he was doing and how to mask his abilities. Unlike elemental powers--healing powers did not come directly from the Gods. They were just abilities that every angel knew upon their creation, a symbol of their tranquil purpose in the world. However, there were limitations to what angels could do. They were meant to be guardians to humans and aid in their health, but they were not supposed to mess with fate (there were exceptions, however) and Prompto was really pushing the line there. In fact, the only reason he was going along with this was because that was one of the utmost important tasks an angel always had; to protect and treasure human life.

“A traveling herbalist?” The woman had never heard of one ever coming to Nilfhiem, most people didn’t dare travel from the outside. Nor did most people on the inside dare to leave. She was sure that Prompto’s friend had no idea the dangers he was facing and feared for him, “Bless your soul.” She smiled and grabbed the “herbalist”s hand to hold it in gratitude, also be a blessing that he didn’t end up dying.

“It’s no problem. Prompto happened to see me making rounds yesterday morning elsewhere and asked me to come along with him just in case and I’m rather glad he did.” Ignis is motioned through the tent to the back of it where the girl was laid down resting. She looked pale. A cloth was over her forehead and eyes and sweat dripped down her neck. Her breathing was labored some as well. Ignis realized the only reason she wasn’t any worse off to near death was because everyone else had used the herbs to maintain her symptoms, but none of them could cure her. Angels cured people of minor illnesses or injuries, not herbs, and because angels didn’t reside there, she wasn’t getting the help she needed. She was miserable, but she wasn’t dying, so Ignis could help and he wouldn’t be testing fate.

Prompto’s expression was full of concern and worry. He hadn’t seen Trinity like that. It was really painful to see, but it wouldn’t last much longer and thank God for that.

Reaching down, Prompto grabbed the cloth off Trinity's face and went to freshly dampen it with the water bucket at the other side of the tent. He had done this several times the last time he was there while Granny worked on the herbal concoction that was needed (that Prompto also helped gather herbs for). He wasn’t sure how much it helped, but he hoped it brought at least some sense of relief or comfort.

Ignis touched Trinity by the shoulder and gently nudged her, “Trinity, dear.” He nudged her again, “Wake up for a moment.” His voice was comforting and soft and damn, did Prompto think that was perfect.

Trinity slowly stirred awake, her head was burning and her eyes hurt to open, but she slowly turned her head towards the voice she was healing and her blurred vision was starting to come into focus. “Huh?” She studied the man in front of her, confused and slightly frightened, because she had never seen him, but nodded. “Who are you…?” she asked rather weakly, her breathing unbalanced between each word.

“Someone who’s going to stop you from being so ill, just trust me alright?” He slowly put his hand on her forehead, a comforting touch to get her to feel more relaxed and also rubbed her head a bit.

Trinity didn’t say anything, only nodded and allowed him to help her. She was too weak to say or do much of anything else.

In order for Ignis to use his healing abilities he would have to manifest them into something, but that was rather easy considering he could just mix some random herbs together and blend it with that. He’d already gathered some herbs from nearby on the paths on the way down and it would be easy to just mix them together without anyone realizing it wasn’t any different than the ones they used.

Grabbing one of the old woman’s mixing bowls Ignis began to work his magic, so to speak; taking all the herbs and combining them together, while his hands channeled healing energy through the herbs. It was a simple task and within seconds he was done and just continued to mix the herbs until they were perfect for consumption.

Helping Trinity sit up, Prompto had made sure it was really slow and if she felt dizzy to make sure she wasn’t going to fall over. This task took a bit to get Trinity to sit fully up, but Prompto didn’t mind. He was more concerned with her comfort than anything else, “Kay, I think she’s as good as she can get, this work?” Prompto blinked.

“Yes. That’s good enough, thank you.” Ignis moved to Trinity putting the herbs to her mouth to drink. He had figured the water he added to give it a more liquid feel was better for her, “Drink slowly, I don’t want you to choke.”

Trinity was groggy, dizzy, and in pain, but she did as she was told and began to drink the concoction, that was so gross that her nose twitched and she pulled away. It was always like that, she hated the taste but she had been subjected to it for what felt like would be forever. Ignis had given her time to swallow and prepared her for the rest of it. Having to take slow sips was the worst of it, had she been stronger she would’ve just gulped it down all really fast and dealt with the horrible aftertaste for only a moment, but she wasn’t, so she had to deal with this torment.

Once Trinity was done, Ignis handed the bowl to the old woman and waited for a moment. An angel’s heals were almost instantaneous and before anyone knew it, the color to Trinity's face was returning and her head didn’t feel as hard to hold up. The sweat was gone from her neck and her breathing was returning to normal. She was recovering.

“I feel the best I have in forever!” Trinity pumped her arms up in the air and jumped up outta bed, something she hadn’t been able to do in months.

“Oh heck yeah!” Prompto gave Trinity his raddest high-five he’s ever given anyone and pumped his arms up in the air too. He was so happy to see her so lively, it warmed his heart.

“I can’t thank you enough young man.” She handed Ignis a bowl of bread, “I wish I could offer you more, but this is from my personal grains. Please take this as a token of my appreciation and I apologize I can’t give you more.”

“There’s no need to thank me. It’s part of my profession. I don’t require payment in any way. Just knowing she’s going to be alright is payment enough.” Ignis set the bread back down; they lived in poverty as is and she was willing to give up their food just to show gratitude--really spoke volumes for how horrible the conditions were in demon city.

Prompto was running around the back of the tent with Trinity playing tag, when she grabbed one of Prompto's shackles on accident when she went to tag him.

Prompto froze for a moment, his laughing and playful gestures came to a full stop. His arm was shaking. He wasn’t aware of them till that moment. It was like he had forgotten because they weren’t in use, or maybe it was because he was trying to start a new chapter. Either way, being reminded how chained down he truly was, had triggered a terrible reaction. Those shackles represented how bound he was to his home, to his kind, a slave to everyone. No one else he knew had shackles like that. They were used to punish him, to keep him in place, to remind him that he was not in control of his own life and here he was going against all of that.

“Prompto? Prompto! Are you okay? Come on!” Trinity was laughing as she tried to pull Prompto’s arm, but he wasn’t budging, he couldn’t get himself to move.

Ignis overheard the two and looked over to see what silly games they were playing. He had noted earlier how good with kids Prompto was; it was a rather endearing trait, which planted a small smile on Ignis’s mouth, but nothing more.

When Ignis saw that Prompto wasn’t moving, he was confused. More so when he was not responding to Trinity, he knew something was wrong, “Prompto.” He shook Prompto’s shoulder a bit, “Prompto. Prompto, can you hear me?” Still no answer.

Observing Prompto’s eyes, Ignis noticed they looked blank, downcasted like he was lifeless. His arm was shaking, but it was like he was just trapped inside his own head, “Prompto!” Ignis shouted as loud as he had when the two were about to square off when they met and somehow, that was the push Prompto needed to start to snap out of it.

“H-Huh..?” Prompto blinked, he could feel his heart trying to beat out of his chest or regurgitate out of his throat. He felt warm, sweaty, and downright confused. He couldn’t remember what had happened for a moment, but it came back to him. The movement of his shackle from someone else must have just sent him on one terrible mental trip. Ten-thousand and seventy-two out of ten, he does not recommend.

“You alright?” Ignis looked at how confused and almost pathetic Prompto looked. The demon was downright terrified. It was absolutely ridiculous to Ignis how much that look in Prompto’s eyes made Ignis sympathize with Prompto, like it rose this sense of wanting to protect Prompto, but that was uncalled for! Prompto was a demon and no matter what Prompto did, he wasn’t going to sway to trusting Prompto or helping out the demon. He wished those thoughts would stop entering his mind every time Prompto did kind gestures or was upset. Ignis was really starting to be bothered by it.

“Yeah. Dunno what happened, but yeah, I’m totes fine! No worries.” Prompto gave a playful punch to Ignis’s arm to signify he was fine, but in reality, Prompto was not okay. He was still shaken by what just happened, but he was used to joking things off and pretending to be fine, it was the only way to get people off his back or to not burden others. It was a terrible coping mechanism.

Ignis was not easily fooled by that, Prompto’s mannerisms spoke with high anxiety and uncertainty, but he would leave it alone. Pushing it wasn’t going to help anything and it wasn’t the time nor the place for it, “If you are, we should get going soon.”

Prompto nodded. “Thanks for helping Trinity, I owe you one!” Prompto put his hands together like he was pleading, and gave Ignis a wink.

“Oh, you certainly do.” Ignis’s tone was a bit mischievous but it had that angry aura mixed in with it and again Prompto feared for his life far more than the time he was almost killed by a nightcrawler. Save him!

Prompto grabbed Trinity's hand, apologizing to her for a second and playing off his moment like it was a game and got Trinity to make herself freeze and try not to move or respond to anything. He told her it was an important thing to learn for when she was older and in danger. Telling her if she was still, it would help danger not detect her. And he ended their time together playing tickle monster with her favorite teddy bear. Roars of laughter followed.

They had been there for over forty-five minutes at that point. It felt longer than that to Prompto, but Ignis had been watching the time. Good too, because if Prompto was there much longer… it could possibly put those people in danger. He was sure no one knew of this place, but that didn’t mean people weren’t following him or they weren't tracking him somehow (that always scared him, because he would never know if they were). Not to mention, he hadn’t returned home last night and he was sure that would cause some type of uproar, especially because he was supposed to have implemented the first part of the “attack on Insomnia” plan.

Waving goodbye and Prompto giving Trinity a big hug and ruffling her hair, the angel and demon departed the refugee camp and started back out on their journey.

\----------

Most of the day had been spent walking. The only time they stopped was to get something to drink or sit for a moment because neither of them was used to walking so much; especially Prompto, whose specialty was flight. Not to mention he was also weak as hell.

“Maaan, we are gonna die just having to walk like this.” Prompto was hunched over, holding his knees, out of breath and being as dramatic as possible.

“You’re a demon. Surely, you’re stronger than this.” Ignis knew how weak Prompto was, but this was pathetic. Prompto could say he was stronger than a human all he wanted, but Ignis wasn’t too convinced if one showed up to kick his ass right then and there, would Prompto win.

“Not...really…” Still out of breath. Still dying.

“I’m not even sure your kind would care if you decided against your nature. You’re a pathetic excuse for a demon.” Ignis’s words were dry and rather harsh. But, there went that feeling again. Prompto was an outcast. An outcast really had nothing and it made Ignis want to help him, but he refused. He had to keep the mantra in his head of “Angels are good. Demons are evil” and never sway from it.

“Wouldn’t surprise me…” Prompto finally caught his breath and stood back up straight, “Never really fit in with them anyway, we don’t mesh well and they don’t match my vibe, ya know?” He’s hardly had any demon acquaintances, let alone friends, “I rather like being a ‘pathetic excuse for a demon’, means I’m doing something right.” Prompto chuckled a bit at the end of his statement. If Ignis was going to point it out, then he was gonna milk it for all it was worth, because that only added more to the fact he could be trusted.

“I suppose I can’t argue with you there, but it doesn’t mean you’re somehow better than the rest.”

A demon was a demon after all, but it would be really nice if Ignis stopped reminding Prompto that every chance he got.

\---------------

Nightfall came once more and the two were stuck in a forest, a prime area for the nightcrawlers, and the worst of it was this was the exact place where Prompto had been attacked by one a few years ago and almost died. Had it not been for Prompto’s strong will to survive, he would probably be dead.

This was the time where the two of them needed to expose their abilities to each other. If they hoped to make this journey out alive they needed to know how each other fought. 

Prompto used flight a lot when he was fighting because it gave him the advantage of being above the ground, mixing that with his power from the Gods always seemed to be more useful than if he was on the ground. Ignis realized this was probably why Prompto tried to fly away from him when they first met versus actually trying to attack him head-on. Prompto also had the use of weapons. As a demon not many used them, but he liked to be as far away from the enemy as possible, so he had dabbled in learning how to use a gun to his advantage. He, however, did not have it on him at the moment, but it was never hard to find abandoned ones around. His homeland was like that. So much means for destruction everywhere.

Ignis was a lot different. He built a lot of his skills on tactics and head-on attack. And as an intelligencer, he was skilled in things like stealth. For that reason he used two daggers at his disposal that he mixed his elemental powers with; however, he also had times he just used his powers with them.

The unlikely duo was realizing that they both were skilled in what the other lacked and with it combined, they might end up being an unstoppable force.

Pocketing that information, they continued on being as careful as possible.

\---------------

Being careful was not useful. Before both Prompto and Ignis could blink, they were in contact with a nightcrawler.

Ignis had never seen one before, having never been in Niflheim’s territory there was no reason he would have. Even the ones that ventured outside the border would die the moment the sun even remotely peered through the sky, so none of them ever made it too far. One thing for certain--they certainly were the most disgusting creatures he had ever seen and his hatred for demons felt justified at that moment.

The nightcrawler was on all fours, the whole body looked boney with only a black...skin -- could it even be called a skin? -- and a white circular pattern all over it. Its teeth peeked out as it growled at the both of them, its claws digging into the ground. The eyes were hollow, nothing but a black pupil and a red glow.

Prompto instantly took flight the moment he saw the nightcrawler. He wanted nothing to do with it, but he wasn’t about to abandon Ignis and shatter the hopes he had to prove to Ignis. Plus, it kinda sucked that the nightcrawler almost certainly was the one that almost killed him before, because Prompto remembered the circular pattern that was all over the black skin and he was sure that no two nightcrawlers would have it looking exact… or well maybe they could? Either way, he knew that this type of creature was capable of some horrible stuff, so he had to act quickly.

Ignis had already braced himself tapping into some ice abilities catered to him from the god Shiva. This allowed him to use it in hand or in his daggers, while also being able to try and freeze the enemy. Meanwhile, Prompto usually used fire abilities, it was all he really remotely versed himself in, but right now a good idea would be to probably use powers that could catch this beast off his feet. That sounded like a job that the god Titan could provide for them. It would allow Prompto to cause the ground to pull apart and hopefully trap the beast.

The nightcrawler took no time before it leapt and tried to land on Ignis, luckily at that moment he was able to push it back with his dagger and brace himself for another attack. Right now he was tapping into Shiva’s power, so he was able to course that into his daggers and it seemed like the nightcrawler was pissed at that. And Ignis thought that was perfect.

Prompto had flown about a mile away from where the nightcrawler was and put himself to the ground, being careful not to stir anything else (or worse cause another nightcrawler to appear), he put his hands to the ground surging power into it. He hadn’t released it yet, he needed to wait till the time was right.

Ignis had watched Prompto go off and hoped that meant Prompto had a plan and wasn’t just running away because he was scared. Ignis against his better judgment was putting some faith into Prompto. Almost like a test; if he was selfish like most demons were, then Prompto would have run away and saved his own hide. If not, then he supposed that was another plus point on Prompto’s side, but it didn’t mean much. Ignis put faith in Prompto assuming he would mess up--it was not the same as putting trust into someone.

The nightcrawler leapt again at Ignis and he fought it back off again, this time slicing it a bit with his dagger. There wasn’t much damage and not something that couldn’t be instantly healed. Weapons hardly did permanent injury, they just were a cause for distraction while the elemental abilities were the real trick.

The third time the nightcrawler attacked it nicked Ignis on the cheek. That injury did remain because it was directly from the demon's claw. It had been a while since anything had cut him like that. Last time was during the last major war outbreak between the angels and demons and one got him in the side and tried tearing him apart like a wild animal eating his prey. He thought he was going to die that day.

Quickly planning his next move, Ignis got himself into a position and moved his daggers back to his sides. Focusing all the elemental power he was given at the moment, he created a frozen mist. Anything that would touch it would be instantly frozen (including himself), it was risky, but it seemed like the only plan and he knew that it wouldn’t last long.

Cue Prompto, who had been positioned on the ground long enough he was concentrating on how wide and long he needed to make the rift in the ground. He wasn’t used to using this and was scared he would cause too much destruction, but he just had to do his best, Ignis was counting on him, he couldn’t fail now!

Coursing the power through the ground, Prompto was able to cause the ground to shake and tremble, as it parted and split down about a mile and a half (just barely missing Ignis). During that time, Ignis had been using the mist to trap the demon in its tracks, and waited for Prompto because in the process he’d frozen his legs to the ground and his arms were stuck in place.

The nightcrawler had fallen into the pit, stuck there as prompto closed the hole back up. He wasn’t sure how long that would keep the beast at bay considering he was sure that wouldn’t kill it, but it got it out of their hair.

Flying back to Ignis, Prompto was worried, “Iggy! You’re frozen, are you okay?” In that moment, Prompto was already calling upon Ifrit to give him so fire, to be able to unfreeze Ignis.

“I’m f-fine. W-why are you c-calling me, Iggy?” Nicknames were a sense of bond. Friendship. And Ignis wanted nothing to do with that when it came to Prompto. There was a clear bond-forming on Prompto’s end, but it wasn’t mutual. Still… no one had ever given him a nickname before, and Iggy, while it had childish roots to it, was endearing. Why was everything Prompto did so endearing? Ignis was catching himself having to remind himself of his mantra at least twice as much since mid-afternoon.

“I’ll get you unfrozen in a jiffy! No worries!” Prompto was already applying the fire carefully; he was close enough that it would melt, but it wouldn’t burn Ignis in the process. “And oh, it came outta my nickname vault, you like it?” Prompto was proud of himself for that nickname, he came up with it so soon, too. Prompto then noticed Ignis’s bleeding cheek, “Ah! You’re bleeding, hold on!” He frantically was looking for something to cover it with. Yeah, Ignis was an angel, and it would heal in probably a day, but Prompto always carried bandaids with him for the humans he ran into, so. “Here, I got this!” Prompto undoes the bandaid and pushes it on Ignis’s cheek, who couldn’t resist because he was still unfreezing.

Once Ignis was unfrozen, he brushed himself off, “My cheek was fine.” He was going to rip the bandaid off, but something in him just wouldn’t allow it. He didn’t like this confliction he kept feeling about Prompto and so all that conflict came out at once. ”I’d rather you not be so friendly with me. I told you I don’t trust you. Or do you not understand what that means?”

Prompto sunk back a bit, pulling his hands against his sides, “I understand…” Prompto looked away from Ignis; he knew if he gave direct contact and saw that vile look Ignis was probably giving him, he might cry.

“Once we make it to your residence, that’s it. Our truce, pact, whatever it is you want to call this, is over.” 

Ignis’s words felt like knives stabbing Prompto. That was the second time Ignis’s words cut him like a blade so deep. He hadn’t known Ignis long but the little bit that they “bonded” over the past day and learned about one another… meant a lot to him. He thought maybe… somehow some progress was made, but maybe not. Still… Prompto wasn’t giving up. It hurt, but he wasn’t giving up.

“Yeah…” Prompto couldn’t get himself to say anything else, as he took his left hand and held his right bicep in it, his attention still looking downward, not able to make eye contact. His eyes welled with tears he refused to let fall.

“Glad you agree. Very well then. Shall we continue?” 

Ignis didn’t give Prompto even a moment to reply when he started walking forward, but instinctively made Prompto follow, because Prompto was the leader, and he knew Ignis had no idea where they were going.

\-----------------------------------------

The next day, Prompto introduced Ignis to something very important to him: his camera.

Prompto had no idea where it came from, he just remembered having it one day, but it was more important to him than anything else he owned. He was glad that no one ever tried to take it from him, but he always feared that might happen someday.

It was unusual that Prompto hadn’t taken any shots in the past few days, but he had been more focused on his new journey, goals, and well...Ignis, that he hadn’t thought about it. That wasn’t like him at all, but he supposed when someone makes a life-changing drastic decision in the course of a few minutes, anyone would be off their game for a bit.

Prompto positioned himself against Ignis real fast and snapped a selfie. Ignis was not thrilled or impressed by that notion, it was like Prompto had completely forgotten the talk they had the night before. Oh well, let Prompto live in his fantasy, it would just hurt that much harder when reality struck.

“Man, Ignis, you look so uptight! You need to let loose a little. I know you can!” Prompto shoved his body against Ignis’s side, trying to get some type of rile out of him, but to no avail. Bummer.

Prompto took a few more pictures of the surrounding area. It wasn’t the most photogenic place in his homeland, but he wanted to at least remember some of the places he was at with Ignis, especially since it wouldn’t last forever.

Ignis was gathering some water as Prompto looked through his camera roll. He had taken a few other pictures of Ignis and he couldn’t help but stare at them. How was one man...so pretty?  _ Shit  _ . Was he really thinking that? Like, he could find someone aesthetically pleasing right? Cause Ignis had all the right looks. His eyes were beautiful. His structure in his face was perfect, everything just aligned so gracefully. Wait… were angels just made perfect?  _ Yeah. Probably  _ . But, there was certainly a number done when Ignis came into existence. Based on aesthetics alone, just  _ wow  _ .

When Ignis came back with the water, Prompto put his camera away and drank some water. Fresh, ice, cold water always hit the spot.

Now they had to create the objectives for the day.

\--------------

Walking on foot had become more and more difficult. Prompto missed when he was flying the other day when they got attacked. But, he knew it was risky and hell, he was worried he got found out when he did it briefly that day.

Prompto felt like he could collapse at any minute, but he had to keep pressing on, and boy, would he never take flight for granted. Also, was it just him or was he waaaay farther away than he ever realized, because he was always flying to places? Still, being able to just basically pose as a human, something he often did, felt great. He still often wished he was one.

Ignis, on the other hand, got to experience what it was like to feel powerless. He had always been using his angelic nature every chance he had and besides the few times he’s had to fight or the one time he healed someone, he’s been reduced to feeling on level with mortals. It made him wonder how humans dealt with their fragile mortality. Angels and demons could still die, but the means are not as simple as a humans; plus they lived for thousands and thousands of years.

Most of the rest of that day was spent with Ignis thinking about his mission and human morality. Prompto was gabbing nonstop, but Ignis only processed maybe not even a fourth of what was being said. It was better that way anyway, wanted to keep up the boundary that he would not be close to a demon. Still… Prompto had a...rather endearingly...cute demeanor when he rambled about things he liked. Ignis picked up the hour-long rant about photography, bits, and pieces. He hated that he thought it was adorable.

\-----------

Prompto had figured out that by the next morning they should make it to the center.

They both had decided it was best they just keep moving through the night, then they would make it by dawn and perhaps have a better shot at infiltrating.

Ignis was uneasy, however, but he kept his usual calm-looking demeanor. For most of the day, he felt like someone was following them. Watching them closely. However, he couldn’t let Prompto know that or let the people following them know that Ignis had figured them out, so he was on high alert, but still putting on his collected nature.

Prompto leaned against a tree to take a breath for a moment. All that walking was still a total drag on him and he was so ready to be able to bust out his wings again, “You know, did I ever tell you that while I may absolutely suck at elemental stuff, I can fly faster than anyone else?” Prompto felt proud of that accomplishment, but he didn’t know if that was something to be proud of or not. So he was always conflicted if it was even something to deem important. Everyone he knew never thought so, so he always just buried it.

“I suppose that’s useful, in terms of running away,” Ignis snarked a bit, sort of teasing in a way, “Or how we defeated the nightcrawler the other night.” He had to give Prompto praise where it was due, even if he didn’t want to praise a demon, Prompto had done well and the faith Ignis placed in him was concrete. Ah, there it was again-- the confliction. The sooner they were at the residence the better because then Ignis could cut ties from Prompto and stop with this madness already.

“Wait…” Prompto blinked, not wanting to assume anything, “You think I did an okay job? Er, well I mean, like, it was decent?” Prompto couldn’t compliment himself well and also wasn’t one to assume people were doing the same, so he always tripped on his words when he was dancing around the validation that he had no idea was being dangled above his head or not.

“I mean, you devised an excellent battle plan that worked well with my abilities. And it wouldn’t have been possible if you hadn’t flown as fast as you had.” Ignis looked at Prompto, in a confirming way that he meant what he was saying.

“Oh! Uh, thank you!?” Prompto was so overjoyed he had no idea what to say or do. “Like I mean, it’s just flying, it’s not anything special, but... I’m glad you liked it…” Prompto turned his head for a moment; he could feel the praise Ignis gave him welling up in his chest and it seeped out of his cheeks. He felt so warm, Gods, that was embarrassing.

Ignis just gave a bit of a chuckle, amused at how Prompto was reacting, but before he could say anything, the uninvited guest that had been tailing them appeared in between the two of them.

“Hello Prompto, what are you up to?” It was a woman. She looked like she could drop-kick anyone if she tried.

Prompto’s eyes widened.  _ Oh no  _ .

It was one of the demons from his home. A dear friend to him. The only friend he probably had. This was bad. This was  _ really  _ bad.

Prompto put himself into a proper stance, he knew that a fight was coming and he had to prepare for it.

“You know...traveling…” Prompto’s voice was trembling with each word. What was he supposed to do?

Ignis also had gotten himself into a stance, “If you leave now I won’t have to take drastic measures.”

“Prompto, who’s this tough guy? Another friend?” She sighed, putting her hand on his shoulder. “Listen, I know you want to help others, but this is gonna get your ass in trouble and his ass dead.”

Prompto was shaking. She was right. He had known she was right, but he got so caught up in his rebellion, he pushed it away and now… now he felt like he needed to retreat back to being a demon puppet and keeping the distance from any outsiders. He would willingly go back if it meant he could protect Ignis.

“...I know... “ Prompto’s words barely escaped his mouth, he mostly had gasps and other barely audible noises, like he wanted to say something but all he could do was have his mouth agape without the words being able to leave his throat.

The demon girl put her head down; she too didn’t always like how things were in this forsaken country. She had been wanting to stage her own rebellion for quite some time, but, for now, she needed to make sure Prompto was doing what he needed to, “I’m sorry about this too, shortcake, but your friend here's gotta be taken care of.” Before, she finished her sentence she was already positioned behind Ignis, holding him by knifepoint. That wasn’t all she was going to do, she had no idea what to expect out of this man or what he was, but she had so many more tricks up her sleeve just in case.

Prompto started to panic and started to conjure up some of his fire abilities. It was no use though, he was against Aranea. A dear friend… a dear friend that could dropkick his ass, and he wouldn’t stand a chance.

“...Aranea… Nea.. please…” Prompto’s eyes were welling with tears and Ignis noted every emotion that Prompto seemed to be going through at that moment. Ignis felt sorry for Prompto, felt disgusted that he did, but he felt sorry for Prompto.

Aranea stood firm as she was starting to conduct her elemental abilities into her weapon. Something about her was that she could use more than one elemental power at a time, something that made her harder to defeat, “It will be quick, I promise.” Aranea didn’t want to kill this asshole, but she had to. In reality, if she didn’t, she would just put Prompto in more danger. Hopefully, he would understand in the future.

Ignis had realized that this woman must not have realized he was an angel. He may have mentioned he would fight her, but that didn’t mean it threw a neon sign he was a celestial being. So he was banking on that for the moment as he chose the most suitable ability to strike with at any moment.

This was the hardest decision of Prompto’s life. Save Ignis to prove himself. Or stop Arana and possibly kill her in the process? (That is, if he stood a chance against her.) He didn’t want to choose. He couldn’t choose.

Biting his lip, Prompto winced. He bit so hard he drew blood, but it was the only way to ground himself. Focus on the pain and relax.

Once his mind was clear, Prompto knew what he had to do, his heart was already ready to burst from it all… he was so sorry for what was about to happen.

Meanwhile, Ignis had been working on using water abilities to knock Aranea off her feet, but before he could finish that, Prompto sped right up beside them like he was a flying bullet and knocked Ignis out of Aranea’s grasp without causing Ignis injury.

“You really want to do this pipsqueak?” Aranea twirled a weapon in her hand, “I don’t want to fight you. I  _ really  _ don’t want to fight you, but if you want your ass kicked then I can grant you that.” 

Prompto looked at her, his eyes narrow. He didn’t have a carefree demeanor and he wasn’t anxious. He seemed almost colder, but Aranea knew what that was. It was Prompto’s last desperation, when he reached this point, he had his full potential.

Ignis had decided against using a water element and decided on ice. It would be valuable to freeze this woman, but if he tried he would end up freezing Prompto in the process (Ignis could at least not be in the direct way of it this time) and he didn’t have a fire god’s powers to call upon to unfreeze him.

Prompto was going all out for Ignis and internally he was screaming, focused, but screaming. Aranea was a dear friend, like a mentor, a sister, someone he could rely on--perhaps the only person in his homeland he could-- and he was going to have to do the one thing he never wanted to do to anyone: kill her. If he didn’t, then he was betraying Ignis and all this was would have been pointless. He really didn’t want to do either option, but Ignis was already on the offensive, it made sense to follow.

Prompto took flight as far away as he could get to look for some weapons to encase some of his fire power in. He gathered two. A pistol and a small shotgun.

Flying back, Aranea and Ignis had been squaring off a bit. Ignis still held back on using the ice mist, because if Prompto came back in the middle of it, he would be frozen. Instead, he used the ice to form icicles that he could throw in top speeds in Aranea’s direction.

The two of them could keep their own with each other, but Aranea had the fire on her side, so Ignis’s efforts were poorly managed.

Retracting his element of ice, Ignis decided to use water, totally drenching Aranea and rendering her fire useless. Thankfully, the tide had avoided him or his next plan would not have worked. In a quick change, Ignis exchanged his water element for lighting and struck Arena while she was still drenched.

Sadly, for Ignis, Aranea had opened a hole in the ground that mostly protected her from the blow, so the conductivity of electricity only affected her slightly.

Ignis really hated that she could use more than one ability at a time, but at least he had the asset of switching between his fairly quickly, which was just as rare.

Prompto watched their altercation and positioned himself, his shotgun in hand and a knife in his pocket. When Ignis had stuck with the lighting again, Prompto flew forward and shot his gun, then flew upward. The bullet got encased with the lighting and struck Aranea directly in the back of the neck, not even enough time to spread her wings to dodge it, and she fell forward.

There were a few silent tears that rolled down Prompto's face as he looked down at Aranea, his head hanging away from Ignis's sight. But he kept himself together for the time being. Everything felt like too much, but he hadn't processed it fully yet and he was quick to just keep himself from fully falling apart-- barely, but he managed enough to forget it.

It wasn’t fully over yet, her whole body was electrified, but they were demons. It would take a while, but she wasn’t going anywhere. “I gotta hand it to you Prompto, well played.” Her eyes fell shut and she gave a cheeky grin.

“Why is this one of the only times you’ve praised me  _ like that _ …” Prompto was softer now, but the reality of what he just did was starting to sink in, “Is it because I drop kicked your ass for once? Because it wasn’t all me…” He couldn’t take all the credit for what just happened, Ignis did most of the dirty work, but Prompto did the final blow.

With some last bit of energy, Aranea ruffled Prompto's hair, blood smeared in it-- something Prompto didn’t notice right away. “See, you’re stronger than you think, kid. Promise me you’ll keep getting stronger.”

“Yeah… I promise…” Prompto didn’t want to go into the details of how he never wanted this to happen; it was too much, too heavy, and he couldn’t let that be the last thing Aranea ever heard.

The final thud Aranea made when she fell forward once more sounded like it could be heard for miles.

In fact, Prompto didn’t think he would ever stop hearing it echo.


	4. The Holiness of Sin

Prompto didn’t talk to Ignis after that. He couldn’t even look at him. Just kept moving forward and any time Ignis tried to say something, Prompto couldn’t respond.

“Prompto, can I see your camera?” Ignis inquired in hopes to get Prompto’s mind on something else.

Prompto said nothing and kept walking. If he stopped, he would break and he couldn’t cry in front of Ignis, he couldn’t.

Ignis knew he set the distance between them before, but part of him didn’t want that anymore. Part of him wanted to hear some crazy stories from Prompto. Hear Prompto going on and on about things he liked. Anything. Anything but this. He couldn’t quite tell what his felt in his chest, but he wanted to erase it, because it made him feel conflicted. And he had to push his mantra even harder.

\--------

After over an hour of silence, Ignis just grabbed Prompto's arm above his shackle. “Prompto.”

Prompto jumped. He was shocked, surprised, and for the second time since they met, his wings showed. So many black feathers fell from them like he was molting. As if they were shedding the tears that he wouldn’t let himself.

Ignis held onto Prompto’s wrist so carefully as Prompto turned around. The minute Prompto made eye contact, was the minute it all came crashing down. Prompto's eyes instantly welled in tears and he tried to pull away.

Ignis felt sorry for him. Hated it. But Ignis did. That look in Prompto’s eyes as he welled in tears... Ignis knew it would never leave his mind or his heart. The sadness, the fear, the regret, and the expectation of something worse. Ignis could clearly read it all in Prompto’s eyes.

These last few days had been an eye-opener for Ignis, he was so confused. He still believed that demons were evil, that was what his whole life had taught him, but there was something about Prompto that made him special and Ignis couldn’t deny that. Ignis still didn’t trust Prompto, but there was something, he just didn’t understand it.

“Please… please just let me go…” Prompto started to sob uncontrollably, he did his best to keep it together, but this was too much, he couldn’t hold it back anymore. Prompto knew this was it, this was Ignis about to tell him some lecture again about a demon's true nature and Prompto was pretty sure he tapped into it for a minute there. Prompto knew he ruined his chances of ever proving he was different.

Prompto’s feathers had fallen around Ignis, they felt just like his white ones. Strange, but it was familiar, “It’s alright to cry, you know.” Ignis was trying to be comforting, he didn’t want Prompto to be upset like this and going against Ignis’s conflicting judgment.

“What…” Prompto sniffled. He was confused as to why Ignis was saying that to him, “...didn’t think that was what you were gonna say. I’m a bit shocked, dude…” A bit of a chuckle escaped his mouth as he shrugged, using his free arm to wipe his tears.

“If you believe I’m going to lecture you. I’m not.” Ignis took his hand holding Prompto’s arm and rubbed it softly, comforting strokes to try and relax Prompto a bit more. “I will admit there is something different about you, but I don’t know what it is.” His eyes trailed from Prompto’s arm to his face. “I still don’t believe it’s trust, but… I must figure out what’s making me feel so conflicted.”

Prompto’s tears had stopped falling and his sniffles were lessening. His face started to flush in pink, the comforting motion on his arm was safe, and made his heart flutter. Holy shit, his heart needed to slow down. Prompto was a dumbass; smart, but a dumbass, but he finally got it. Prompto had an interest in Ignis. Wow, a demon falling for an angel. Prompto was just going to cause every single controversy out there, wasn’t he?

Ignis’s words made Prompto wonder what Ignis meant. Maybe Prompto had to push just a bit harder and then maybe Ignis would trust him.

Ignis let go of Prompto’s hand as Prompto’s wings retracted. Ignis was almost disappointed; they glistened so beautifully in the moonlight. Ignis did, however, keep one of Prompto’s feathers.

“Thanks, Iggy, I’m fine now!” And there was that beaming personality that Ignis was used to, so relieved to see Prompto had calmed down.

Ignis went to make a comment about not wanting to be called Iggy, but he couldn’t get himself to say it. Every time he heard that nickname he felt so endeared, and he didn’t understand why.

Prompto snaked his arm through Ignis’s arm and laced his hand with Ignis’s and smiled.

Ignis felt that in his heart and it was clearly written all over his face in the form of red.

Just _how special_ was Prompto to him in reality?

\-------------

And the last day's journey had finally come to an end. They made it to Prompto's residence.

Ignis wasn’t expecting it to be as huge as it was, but he supposed that made sense. Now, they just needed to figure out how to get inside.

“Not hard, I know every nook and cranny of this estate, dude, I know _exactly_ where we can get in from.” Prompto pointed to the left side of the structure, “That side has a few secret chutes that only me and, like, three other people know. No one’s ever expecting someone to come in from there.”

“How wide is this chute?” Ignis thought the plan sounded solid, but it wouldn’t be if they couldn’t even get down to it.

“Wide enough.” Prompto rubbed his nose, with a cheeky grin again.

Yeah, that wasn’t really convincing to Ignis. “If you cause me to get stuck, I don’t think you’ll want to know the consequences.”

“Buuuut, what if I did?” Prompto batted his eyelashes and swung himself from side to side, just teasing Ignis as his tail had revealed itself, which caused Prompto to get slightly embarrassed.

“I wondered if you had a tail.” Ignis noted that Prompto’s tail only came out when he was teasing. Was it attached to feelings of different types of excitement or thrill? “Seems your wings and tail are attached to emotions and when they can’t be held back anymore you can't keep them willingly hidden. Is your tail’s emotion attached to the emotions you get from exciting, thrill-seeking activities?” 

“Uhh... yeah, something like that!” Prompto quickly retracted his tail. It was honestly the worst. Putting him out when he was teasing, well, when he was being _rather excited_. Dude could never get turned on without it showing and he had always been teased about it, “A-Anyways! Let’s go, shouldn’t waste more time!”

“I still best fit in that chute.” Ignis reiterated.

\------------

Reaching the chute was easy. Almost...too easy. Prompto was confused where everyone was, most would be watching a post right now or at least on some stroll around, but no one was there. Was this about the planned attack? Or… was it because he had been gone so long?

Before Prompto could think about it too long, Ignis had yelled from behind him.

Turning around, Prompto’s eyes widened, his heart sank, and his body trembled. Four of the demons he shared space with had swooped up Ignis and were able to hold his powers at bay so he couldn’t get away.

“No! Leave him alone! Let him go!” He couldn’t go through this again, no. Not with Ignis, please not with Ignis.

“You did a good job. Not so much a dumbass, are you?” One demon with blonde hair snarked at Prompto, “Capturing a fine angel for your father. And here he thought you were running stray.”

“I didn’t bring him to be captured! Loqi, let him go!” Prompto spread his wings to fly next to Ignis, but Loqi grabbed Prompto’s wing mid-flight and threw him against the wall. His back cracked so loud, Prompto couldn’t think straight. He winced in pain as he fell on top of one of the roofs. His eyes felt swimmy. Why was he such a weak demon… there was nothing he could do and he felt himself losing consciousness.

“Leave him. We have other things to do.” Loqi helped the others transport Ignis.

“Once I get out of here, I swear, you’re first.” Ignis looked like he was about to rip someone's head off.

“Oh? Because I threw Prompto? You know this was all his plan just to capture you, right? He played you like the dumb as hell fiddle you are.” Loqi was lying, but he wanted to try and break Ignis’s spirit; it would make this process much easier and, hell, more fun.

Ignis fell silent for a moment, trying to think of everything. There was no way that was true, was it? That was the last thing he thought was true, and yet… it seemed like it was unfolding right in front of him. Honestly, what was there to believe? His mind was consumed in all those memories the two of them had shared; those genuine smiles, those tears, those expressions, that nickname, the pictures. Everything. 

His mantra took over his thoughts like they were blank. Demons were evil. Angels were good. Maybe, it was… all faked.

Ignis was placed in a room that had a sealed barrier. It was designed to only let demons in and out of; humans and angels weren’t able to get out of it unless a demon helped them. Ignis sat down and leaned against the wall, unsure what awaited him, but he would surely find out.

There was a small part of Ignis that believed Prompto would come to his rescue and that small part kept ahold of the hope it wasn’t all a lie. This was the first time… even an inkling of Ignis trusted Prompto and he could no longer deny that. But, if his trust was in vain...then demons had no redemption and his judgment and feelings-- all the confliction-- was meaningless.

\-----

Prompto woke up on the roof, his body sore, but he slowly lifted himself up. His wings were still out and his back hurt too much to try and retract them. Dusting himself off, he knew exactly where they were probably keeping Ignis and headed off.

Ignis had been watching people walking up and down past the barrier. There was no door on the room and the barrier was transparent, so he could see what was going on outside the entrance. At one point he thought he saw Prompto and he felt relief, but it was only crushed the moment he realized it wasn’t.

A man had walked by the barrier and stopped right in front. He seemed like he was important and excuse Ignis, but the man was hideous and wearing the worst outfit he had ever seen.

“Angel.” The man’s voice was deep and hoarse.

Ignis looked up and turned his head, but said nothing.

“Come here.” The man took a staff he held and slammed it on the ground.

Ignis said nothing, but rose to his feet and walked over as far as he can.

“A fine specimen.” The man smirked, laughed like a lunatic and slammed his staff again, “You’ll be transferred to my chamber. Prepare yourself.” A crazed smile, and the man walked off.

“The hell is talking about?” Ignis was confused, but Loqi said nothing as he helped transfer Ignis to the chamber.

This time Ignis was in a smaller room, he could barely even lie down in it. The barrier was up again and he couldn’t get out, but he saw everything around him and the place looked like some horrible acts had been committed in it.

Ignis kept his cool demeanor, it was his only defense; he didn't want to have that falter for him.

“Angel.” The man spoke to him again and Ignis stood up.

“Yes?” This was the first time Ignis had spoken to the man directly.

“Welcome. This is now going to be your home. So, get comfortable.” A laugh more maniacal than before escaped the man. “When the transformation process is done you won’t remember anything.”

“Transformation process?” Ignis was confused, he had no idea what this man was talking about. He’d never heard of anything like this before.

“Why you're going to become a demon, my dear lad.” A thrilled smirk appeared on the man's face.

Ignis’s eyes widened. “What does that mean? You can’t turn an angel into a demon!” Ignis pounded the barrier, confused.

“Dear boy. Do you not know?” The man’s head tilted and his eyes turned. “A fallen angel is a demon. The type of demon who still has a human appearance.”

Ignis was taken back a second. He tried to keep his cool, but it was overwhelming. So, those demons… all of them were once angels? But, that only happened to angels who did heinous crimes, so then what did Prompto do? “Do you care to explain to me what all this means, I am very intrigued.”

“Of course. As I said, you won’t remember anything after you’ve been reborn. But, it's okay, your life is about to be much more marvelous.” He raised his arm and clenched his fist. This man was insane, that was all Ignis could conclude, “You know the creation of the world, yes? Angels were God's messengers on Eos and then the ones that rebelled were damned into what we call the nightcrawlers, **_beautiful_** creatures, by the way.” The man emphasized that he wanted Ignis to see demons were clearly superior. “In order for that to never happen again… the council of angels decided to come up with a defense plan, any angel that would go rogue would be stripped of their angelic grace and damned to be a demon, but still in human-like appearance.” He took a deep breath. “However, the council made it so none of you other angels would remember they existed and a fallen angel does not remember they were an angel.”

It still didn’t make sense, how was he going to be turned into a fallen? “Then tell me… how am I to go through this process?”

“Ah, I'm glad you asked. You see my chamber here, yes?” He motioned his hands around everything. “It places angels through some interesting ordeals… it breaks them from the inside and they become tainted and it only ends up being a matter of time before they do something heinous or beg for the suffering to end and align themselves with me.”

“Disgusting. But, I’m not surprised.” Ignis closed his eyes and opened them again, “May I ask, what about Prompto? Why is he a fallen angel?” That was bold, but Ignis needed to know.

“Ah, ha. That boy? He was an angel that helped many people. A true pure soul. I knew he would be fun to transfer. His capture was staged. See, I feel it’s important for us to have a nice army of fallen angels, so I do my best to have as many reborn as possible.” The man smirked, “I became a fallen because I tried to rise above other angels, but now I have this army and a plan to attack Insomnia, what more could I ask for?”

“Angels are supposed to keep the balance in the world and you are corrupting that!” Ignis hit the barrier again, trying to think of something anything to get him out of there. He needed to find Prompto. His entire life felt like a lie, especially discovering that the council knew the truth about fallen angels. But, he understood now why he was so conflicted… he somehow sensed the purity in Prompto--rather his purity was never eradicated. He knew that he wasn’t true of demon nature, even now without realizing it...Prompto was rejecting what he truly was not. Ignis had to get to him, had to find him, now!

Suddenly, the man was hurled across the floor and a pair of black wings appeared in front of the barrier.

“Prompto?” Ignis’s eyes widened.

“Ignis!” Prompto’s eyes lit up as he quickly removed Ignis from the barricade.

“Prompto, there’s so much I need to tell you. So much, I need to--” Ignis’s eyes narrowed, eyeing Prompto up and down, noting how beat up he looked. 

“Don’t worry, Ignis, I.. I heard what he said. I had been watching for the past couple minutes waiting to strike.” Prompto put himself into his stance and started to channel his power, “It’s painful to know that I once was exactly where I want to be. Using my powers for good. Protecting people. Helping keep the world balance in order, but now I know that I can still do that no matter who or what I am! The only person who is me is me.” Prompto looked down at his shackles; they were used to put him through all sorts of hell and prove that he was a slave to this nation, but not anymore. His shackles were never going to define him ever again. 

The words that Prompto spoke really touched Ignis in a way he couldn’t describe. Prompto was right. It didn’t matter what he was, it just depended on who he decided to be and Prompto chose to do good with his demonic state instead of causing destruction. Prompto was his own person. He was the minority in a majority and Ignis had been so foolish to keep denying Prompto the chance to prove that.

“Boy.” The man got up and stood up against Prompto, “Who the hell do you think you’re fighting against? You can’t handle Loqi, you sure as hell can’t handle me.”

“Try me, _Father_.” Prompto flew up and started using fire like a flameflower all over the chamber. The man was not his target. Prompto burned as much of the research and everything else he could, before landing and falling back to where Ignis caught him.

“Prompto, are you alright?” Ignis’s eyes were full of concern, it looked like Prompto was in pretty bad shape.

“Yeah… still banged up from that impact with the wall… and had to get my ass kicked a few times to make it up here…” Prompto pushed himself up from Ignis, ready to fight again, “Question though, Iggy...” Prompto turned his head to look over his shoulder at Ignis, “...do you trust me now?”

Ignis chuckled a bit; of course, Prompto would ask that. It was strange that after everything, Prompto coming to aid Ignis was the thing that solidified how he could be trusted, and Ignis felt he could truly trust Prompto with anything at that point, “Yes, I fully trust you.” Ignis then braced himself to attack.

“No! Months! Years! Of everything gone, do you understand what you have done!” The man screamed as he grabbed his hair, pulling it in agony over how his thousands of years advancements were destroyed by one fell swoop of a rebellious child!

“Yeah. Probably prevented at least eighty or so percent of fallen angel increases. I think that’s a fine investment!” Prompto’s tone was sarcastic as he flew up, ready for his next attack, having his pistol on hand if need be.

Suddenly a window broke overhead, drawing Prompto and Ignis’s attention to it as they watched a demon do a somersault in the air. “Hey shortcake, allow me!”

Ignis gave a bit of a chuckle. He had thought it seemed strange how they “finished” off that demon and he was right to suspect it.

“A-Aranea?!” Prompto was shocked to see her, like this truly felt like seeing a ghost and he sure as hell knew they weren’t real. He had seen the mess he and Ignis had left behind...there was no way. He had to instantly fly back down just to make sure this was actually happening.

“You think I’d die that easily? I staged my own death. Pretty simple stuff. You should learn it.” Aranea ruffled his hair and gave a hearty laugh. Nothing could ever equal up to her badass energy. _Nothing_.

“Why stage it?!” Prompto asked in exasperation, flailing his arms as he was talking, “I really thought you were dead!” Prompto really had been led on to believe he killed her, how cruel!

“More of our kind were coming after you. If they saw what you were capable of, most would back off. It was all part of my plan from start to finish.” Aranea smirked.

Alright, she got a pass, but Prompto was so going to get her back for this later. “Dude! You mean, like, incredibly badass!” Prompto smirked along with Aranea, moving against her like they were some tag-team duo. 

“You all think you can stop me?” The man stood back up, he was preparing to reveal his strongest card long before he originally intended to use it.

 _Shit_. Aranea knew what he was planning, and honestly, she found it ridiculous to reveal at this moment. “No way are you doing that.” Aranea pulled away from Prompto and spread her wings, allowing fire to create an aura around her as she spun around and went to attack the madman in the side as Prompto created a rift in the floor to securely swallow the man.

“If you’ll allow me.” Ignis bowed as he called upon Shiva’s gifts and was able to freeze the whole floor. It doesn’t fully freeze the man, however. “I can tell he’s Prompto’s _father_. Doesn’t know when to give up.” Ignis laughed a bit. It was because Prompto didn’t give up that they were here at this moment, and Ignis learned the truth was, if anything, Prompto’s determination was something he was deeply thankful for. Just taking a stab at his “father” was too good to pass up.

“Hey! That old geezer is nothing like me!” Prompto sounded rather insulted and play-kicked Ignis in the butt and laughed.

Ignis lost his balance for a moment, tripping forward and reclaiming it easily, turning around and staring Prompto down for a moment before his attention was taken back to the fight-- _oh he would get Prompto back later, rest assured_ , “A strong contender. What else should we do?”

“You better figure that out soon or we are screwed.” Aranea could only hold everything off for so long, if the crazy asshole wanted to bring war to the world he would, nothing was going to stop him. If he planned to right this moment, there would be nothing they could really do. “Certain demons, ones with consciousness--can use the greatest god's power. These demons are like the run of the mil evil. Dark souls, you get it.” Aranea moved her body a bit to position herself to the side, “Creepy demon farmer here was going to use that power to stage the attack on Insomnia.”

“And he decides that he's too defenseless currently that he’s going to use it against us now then?” Ignis raised his eyebrow with a sigh. He’s not surprised. This man was truly a coward, he was hiding behind an army he created basically for the sake of doing so. Pitiful how usually the most twisted souls were the most pathetic.

“Bingo.” Aranea crossed her arms heard the man starting to move around.

The man stood up, staggering to his feet, reclaiming his ground, “Enough is enough. I’m tired of playing babysitter and fathering an ungrateful child!” This was it. The man was done, this would teach them; he supposed the war was going to start early. “Also, not to forget your precious angel companion now belongs to me and I will take my property back.” 

“Not so fast, Verstael.” Prompto dropped the father formality that had been forced on him all this time; this wasn’t his father. This was a mad man. If he was going to have a pseudo parent he wasn’t going to have this one any longer. This man may have “created” him, but he had no other significance to him. “If you get away, Insomnia and possibly the entire world is going to be in trouble.” Prompto closed his eyes and tried to think of the best way to solve this and his conclusion was definitely the Prompto way to solve things.

“Ignis, please purify these stones with angel energy.” Prompto handed over some fragments that were sitting on a table nearby.

Ignis nodded and began to surge his power through the stones, “What is your plan?” Ignis inquired, but Prompto just kept moving. 

Prompto surged his elemental magic into his pistol, encasing the bullet with fire as he prepared the rest of his attack.

Verstael scoffed at the gun, "Boy. You think that's going to kill me?"

Prompto said nothing as he held his pistol securely in his hands and went on the prowl. Zooming as fast as he could in all sorts of directions, he targeted his pistol to shoot Verstael right square in the forehead.

There was one single tear that rolled down Prompto's face. No one could tell as he was hurling himself at top speed through the air, but regardless of how he felt about his deranged "parental unit", having things be this way wasn't how he wanted them. He treasured all forms of life. In ways, he pitied the way Verstael had turned out, but that wasn't stopping him from what needed to be done. So, this plan was the best suitable action in Prompto’s eyes.

Prompto knew that he could not defeat his "father", but he needed to stop Verstael before irreversible damage took place, so he did the first thing that crossed his mind.

After a gutting scream, Verstael didn't have much time to react, before Prompto took Verstael by the collar and quickly flew him into the small room where Ignis was previously. It happened so fast all that was seen was a black blur. Prompto truly was the best at flight. “Quick, Ignis, put a barrier up.” 

Ignis moved to place the stones as quickly as possible, making sure they could not be moved by anyone other than an angel and activated the barrier.

Blood oozing from his head, but healing rather quickly, Verstael studied his current situation. “What is the meaning of this?!” Verstael tried to break the barrier in anyway he possibly could, but he was not able to no matter how hard he tried.

“You’re stuck here. Only an _angel_ can let you out of this, Pops.” Prompto laughed. No one had the ability to get him out of there except Ignis, and he wasn’t going to. “I won’t give you the mercy of death. I will, however, put you in the same spot that you put so many others in. Ya know, without the torture and stuff.” Prompto shrugged; he wasn’t about revenge, but this was like the discount version of revenge.

“I’ll keep watch over him for the time being, you know, in case somehow he pulls some crazy maneuver that gets him out of there.” Aranea laughed. It was a joke, but it honestly it would be fun watching over him--she could do so many things that he couldn’t stop. Oh, she was going to have so much fun.

“Thanks, Nea. I’ll leave it to you then.” Prompto nodded with a smile, “Been a great help, glad I could be assisted by your ghost.” Prompto play punched Aranea and laughed a bit. “I’ll be back in a bit, just keep the old man on his toes.” Prompto pointed his thumb over his shoulder where Verstael was being kept and walked away, grabbing Ignis and taking flight.

“Prompto! What are you doing?” Ignis hadn’t been expecting that and positioned himself to be able to hold onto Prompto properly, “If we were going to fly, I have wings too.”

“You’ll see.” Prompto snickered as he kept flying. “You’re still an angel. Not everyone here knows you are, it's best to keep your wings hidden while flying.” 

\-----

They arrived on an island a bit away from his residence, somewhere Prompto often went to be by himself at times. (Prime photo op too.)

“Why are we here?” Ignis’s eyes widened at the scenery, taking it all in as Prompto swung his arms around Ignis, holding Ignis so tight he won’t let go. “P-Prompto?”

“I was.. really scared when they took you away.. I didn’t know what I was gonna do if you ended up tortured or killed or something....” Prompto buried his head into Ignis’s chest, lying against it, “Everyone I have ever helped met a terrible fate. I really wanted this time to be different and I’m so damn glad it was.” Prompto could hear Ignis’s heartbeat, soothing and calm. It was real. It was there. Everything really was okay now.

Ignis wrapped his arms around Prompto, pulling him close. It felt safe, secure, and heartwarming.

Prompto just stayed in Ignis’s embrace as he allowed his wings and tail to fully show, symbolizing how comfortable he felt now. Ignis’s wings finally fully showed themselves in front of Prompto, and Prompto was enamored by how gorgeous of a white they were.

Their wings crossed over one another and Prompto smiled, blush forming on his freckled checks. “Dude... errr, Iggy.... Not really sure if this is the best place to say this, though I thought the scenery was mood-setting ya know, but… well I--”

Ignis just covered Prompto's mouth with his finger, causing Prompto’s blush to deepen even more, “It took me a bit to realize what I was feeling. I believe I must have sensed you were an angel, possibly one I knew but don’t remember.” Ignis smiled deeply. “But, it's not just that." Ignis's eyes had a sincere look in them. "You surely proved that demons can be different to me. You gained my trust. You showed me an entirely different world in a perspective I would have never seen.”

Prompto’s heart was about to burst if Ignis kept talking.

“What I mean to say is, Prompto, I love you. Thank you for opening my eyes, my darling.” Ignis took Prompto’s hand and kissed it.

Prompto's face became even more flushed as he wondered if that was even possible, but he sure felt more heat radiated on them while his heart raced. He almost died right on the spot, but a sense of playful anger welled in him.

“N-No fair dude! I was gonna tell you I loved you! I fell first! I’m pretty sure!” Prompto crossed his arms with a big huff and his cheeks puffed.

Ignis found that absolutely adorable.

“Suppose you’ll have to do something else first at a later date, yes?” Ignis smirked and rubbed Prompto's head, taking his hands to the sides of his face, cupping his cheeks. “But, I must apologize and be selfish and take this first as well.” Ignis leaned down, locking his lips to Prompto’s, slipping his tongue underneath, and Prompto followed the rhythm. Steady and slow, taking in all the feelings that aligned with it.

When they pulled away, Prompto exhaled a heated breath. Ignis was a hella good kisser, and he was going to die happy someday. “Holy…” Prompto couldn’t even finish that sentence.

“I mean yes, I am holy. I’m an angel.” Ignis gave a cheeky grin, and Prompto pushed him away, laughing so hard he could hardly breathe.

“I love you, so damn much.” Prompto gave an endeared sigh at how much of a dork his now-boyfriend could be.

Ignis pulled Prompto down to the ground, and they sat beside one another. Prompto laid his head on Ignis’s shoulder, feeling at peace, taking in this area he always shared alone with someone he had come to love so dearly.

Prompto took out his camera and snapped a shot of the two of them, something to freeze this particular moment in time and keep it forever.

They then grabbed each other’s hands and their wings crossed once more. 

They decided they wanted to stay that way for a while; everything else could wait.

\-----

An unlikely couple. An angel and a demon.

But, one thing was always true, they slept under the same sky and breathed the same air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a journey from start to finish and even with all the sleepless and otherwise nights, I wouldn't have traded it for the world.  
> Thanks for looking at all my hard work!
> 
> Notes: The ending was a bit rough. I had many ideas but ran outta time to do what I had planned in the end. I might fix it someday. Like I tried to parallel canon but was also keeping like Prompto's theme per this whole story. So, I hope you liked that.
> 
> -I plan to make a sequel that talks about the council more. Regis, Noctis, and Gladio will be in that.  
> -I want to do alternate ending to this, but it involves Ignis becoming a fallen angel and Prompto helping Ignis as Ignis refalls in love with him again. That would also reference they were in love as angels, but neither remember.
> 
> Anyways! Catch me on twitter: @xstarshells.


End file.
